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Many of you know that I have been training for The Ride For Missing Children which will take place on May 18th. It’s a 100 mile ride, but really it’s not about the 100 miles at all, it’s about raising awareness and money for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. So making sure I’m in the best shape I can be to ride the 100 miles is important to me, so that I don’t have to worry about anything else on the day of The Ride and I can just take it all in.

Being a spin instructor and someone who works out hard 5-6 days a week, I really don’t think I’ll have too much trouble with the mileage, but I have stepped up my training regimen a bit. I really started with three goals: 1. To step up my spin workouts (check!), 2. to weight train more (check!) and 3. to get more time in running outside and on the treadmill (blaaaahhhhhh!-I really am not a fan of the running.) Two out of three is not so bad, is it???

In addition to the spin classes that I teach (and participate in), I have been training on an indoor trainer with a really cool group of people at a local bike shop. The training is free for anyone that is participating in The Ride and the people who run it and attend are really amazing! And here’s the best part: there’s wine and snacks at the end of each session! I have to tell you, it’s no ride in the park. These people are hard-core. I learned that I definitely need to wear my padded bike shorts the next time I go because there’s a lot of saddle time, and that while being on a trainer is great practice for me, it’s a lot different than a spin bike. I think I got the hang of it pretty quickly though! Here’s a peek at what one of these training rides looks like:

7 Responses to “Break Free Spin Mix (2/20/12)”

Great work on the training!
That “class” on the trainers is so cool! Totally like a spin class but yet so different. Very neat.
I could use something to “train” for but right now I’ve got a 6 hour ride in less than 2 weeks, so I’ll consider something after that.
I’m guessing you may be off this week, so enjoy if you are, and even if you aren’t. 🙂

Just ran across your blog… it’s awesome! I am a new spin instructor at a small gym in Colorado. I absolutely love it… I had been going to the classes for some time when I was approached by the owner to start teaching. I really appreciate you sharing your song lists and routines as it gives me a place to start in creating my own classes. I also love your blog because I am also not only a spin instructor but a mother and a teacher! A triple threat, as I like to call it!
Thanks again!

I teach 2 spin classes a week in a small gym. I also teach other types of classes. In the past I have tried to vary each class and never have taught the same one. I was wondering what you would suggest as far as me playing 2 different play lists one week then play them again the next. How often do you change up?

I am really only scheduled to teach 2 classes per week. It often happens that I teach more than that because I sub a lot. I teach Monday and Wednesday evenings to pretty much the same crowd, so I do use two different playlists. If I am covering another class that week, I will use one of the Monday/Wednesday playlists, or pick and choose parts of each ride that I really liked and make them into one playlist. If you like to change it up, I would suggest doing that-make two for the week and then work from them to create new playlists. It’s much easier than starting all over again. I don’t think people mind that much. I remember going to aerobic classes that used the same music EVERY TIME-for months…years! If you’re using an iPod with iTunes, it really doesn’t take that much time to move things and create new playlists. I hope that helps. 🙂

Thanks. I do this with all my classes. I have been teaching kettlebells for 5 years and I have never taught the same class twice. I guess I am kind of OCD in that way. I remember every workout so I need to come up with a new one each time. I don’t think the class really remembers what they have done like I do.